Head Cuts: How Men Own Their Style

by Style Team31 Jul 2017 | 2:10 PM

Hair - it's any of the fine threadlike growing from the skin of all mammals including humans. There's not much to get from this definition; even though it's technically correct, it doesn't express the high esteem people actually hold for their hair. It's called the crowning glory for a reason.

The Glory of Hair
An entire person's identity can be shown through their hair: rebels, entrepreneurs, and artists can be identified just by how they wear their hair. Getting the right haircut is essential in earning the respect of others, and moving up in the world. But, even with so much stock put into hair, many guys get the whole thing wrong and end up at the receiving end of bad jokes.

A good haircut may be challenging, sometimes. But, there is some math to the process, and cracking the code may help our follicle challenged brothers get a better lease on their hair, and finally get the cut they've always wanted.

The first thing guys need to know about getting the perfect cut is to determine the kind of head they have. How good a haircut looks depend on how it relates to the rest of the head and it dictates the kind of things guys can get away with hair-wise.

Put that Chin Away
The first head shape is the oblong; these heads are all about length. If there's more space between your hairline and chin than between your ears, then you're an oblong. The best haircut for oblong people is something that squashes everything down to make the head look rounder.

Avoid haircuts that add even more length to the face such as the Shump. Incorporate some facial hair as well to add even more to the round illusion. A good beard adds more volume to the jaw and cheekbones, giving it more width. But, oblongs should avoid long sideburns, Chinstraps, and goatees as these make the eyes go down and the face look even longer.

Egg Heads: Not the Smart Ones, But Still Good
The next shape is the egghead or the oval; these heads are slightly wider around the forehead with a round chin. Men who have this kind of face can count themselves among the genetically fortunate, because these faces are the mathematical definition of a good-looking man.

Egg heads can get away with just about any style because the symmetry of their features has the chameleon-like ability to adapt to anything a hairdresser can think of. The trick to making the most of this head is to accentuate such features as much as possible. This means no top fringe if it can be helped. This style hides part of the face and makes it look rounder.

It's Not Fat
The third head type is the round face. No, these heads aren't fat per se; it's just that the length and width of their domes are almost equal. Apart from giving their mothers the hardest job in giving birth to them, round heads are the most feminine looking of all the types, due to their lack of a jawline.

This is the opposite of the oblong, as any cut that creates some volume is welcome. Off center parting should be good for the most conservative look, and some sideburns wouldn't hurt as long as they're tidy. Avoid anything that sweeps hair forward, as it creates a contrast with the round face, making people notice it sooner.

Beards are also a bad idea for round faces, because it adds volume to their faces, which doesn't need any more. If round faces really want to get facial hair, they should skew more towards length at the chin to make it work.

Everything is Jawlines
The fourth type is the square head. This head is the manliest of all face types, as it's all angles and edges. These guys get on the covers of romance novels, and just like eggheads, can pick any style they want. Fabio Lanzoni, the most famous romance novel model, has flowing locks that puts Farrah Fawcett to shame, and it still works.

The only danger with square heads is that they have a tendency of adding even more angles to their faces with edgy facial hair. A clean stubble is more than enough to soften their jaws a little.

There's no style that can capture the best look, but there are styles that some heads prefer over others. Whether the guys like the styles that go well with their head types is another matter entirely.